Crowing Woes
Just recently my two roosters started to crow regularly, often and at all hours of the night. Yes, I have two roosters and I live in town! Earlier this spring I started out with two hens and two baby chicks (all Silkies). I’ve always secretly known the chicks would turn into roosters since they’ve been battling head to head since we got them at a couple weeks old.
Since they’re our babies and we raised them from little fuzz balls, we don’t plan to get rid of them. Fortunatly we don’t have rules against roosters in our town. I’ve also talked to our immediate neighbors and they’re fine with the crowing. They even like it.
I still can’t help waking up every time I hear them crow — with anxiety. I really do love these little darlings and couldn’t bear sending them back to the farm (my mom’s).
Just this past Saturday morning I let them out early, since it wasn’t raining, and they just crowed and crowed and crowed their little hearts out — at 6:30 a.m.! I kept shooing them (in my PJ’s) farther away from the house, but sure enough, they’d just come right back to crow some more.
At least my neighbors both have dogs that bark at all hours of the night and they either want chickens or they already have them. I am very lucky and so are Brownie and Buttercup. I guess this means if we ever move, I’ll have to find a rooster friendly neighborhood — and you know I will.
So starting today, I’ve decided I will no longer anguish over the crowing. I will let them crow and hope for the best. I just wish they weren’t so exuberant.
Gardening in My Rubber Boots 
You are so lucky to have nice neighbors who don’t mind to listen to this music! I taught my dogs not to bark, and I don’t feel good about it. Animals do what they are supposed to do. I admire your patience.
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I grew up with dogs and their barking doesn’t bother me. Maybe since we don’t complain about their dogs — they won’t complain about my roosters.
I don’t know why people complain. We love animals and don’t understand people who aren’t tolerant.
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I guess they just have something to crow about! Here, we call the neighborhood dogs the “french town roosters” because they truly signal to us it is the dawn of a new day and this part of town used to be called french town … I think some crowing thrown in there, too, would be gosh darn fun.
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That can be your contribution! Get roosters that can crow along with the dogs. I feel like I live on a farm every morning now & I love it.
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You are very lucky that your neighbors do not mind the crowing. I stayed at a farm once and could not get a wink of sleep because of a crowing rooster.
But then I have a neighbor that drives truck and other neighbors have complained about his truck running at night, yet even though his truck is right next to my bedroom, I never hear it. I guess each person has their own idea of what is tolerable and what drives them crazy.
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Sylvana, Very true. Thank you for putting it into perspective. I do live in a farming town so I bet more folks would be tolorant to dogs & roosters than in most cities.
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I thought this was a great story. We aren’t even allowed city chickens here (yet) so I must enjoy them from a far. Which is where you probably wish your roosters were each morning at 6:30AM!
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Stevie, I leave the house at 5:30 a.m. during the week so I’m really worried for the neighbors. They also get up early so I think that’s why we’re lucky. No late risers here.
Everyone should get to have chickens. They’re so fun — even (especially) when they crow.
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I am always so tempted when the chicks go on sale at the feed stores. I (think) I would love to have some. It would be a very poor move on my part however because my hunt happy malamute would put a quick end to my farmy fantasies.
Is there anything that will train a wayward crowing rooster? Probably not huh? My dogs bark sometimes around here but since they are usually running off deer, raccoons and bears I let them go for a little bit before quieting them up. At least until the neighbor dogs take over for them anyway.
I understand your anxiety and I had it myself over the dogs when we first moved out here. I think country people have a different tolerance for animal behaviour. I am thankful for that!
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LeSan, Chickens would be such a great addition to your beautiful pond and garden. I bet if you got chicks and raised them around your dog, it MAY not try to eat them.
But, you know best and may not want to take the risk.
I don’t know if I can train these roosters to keep quiet. I secretly hope they’ll get bored with it and eventually crow less. Starting tonight I am going to try to keep them up later using a light and see if they’ll at least sleep-in until the sun comes out at 7.
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